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March 20
1800s *1888 - Albert Spalding announces a baseball tour to Australia next winter with his Chicago team and a squad of National League All-Stars. *1889 - A New York sporting goods house receives an order for bats, balls, and other baseball equipment from Mr. Hiroka of Tokyo, Japan. In his letter he says that baseball "has been played there for several months" and that a baseball association would soon be organized. 1900s 1910s *1915 - The Boston Braves break ground on Commonwealth Avenue and begin construction of Braves Field. Owner Gaffney wants a large enough park so that inside-the-park homers can be hit in three directions. The field will open on August 18. *1918 - Although the major leagues optimistically keep the schedules at 154 games, the owners agree to halve the spring training time in an attempt to save money, as the St. Louis Cardinals open their camp at Hot Wells, Arkansas. 1920s *1925 - In a reprise of the 1924 World Series, the New York Giants edge the Washington Senators 2–1, at West Palm Beach's new Municipal Athletic Field. 1930s *1934 - Mildred Didrickson (Babe Zaharias), renowned all-around female athlete, pitches the first inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. She gives up one walk but no hits. Two days later she pitches again, this time one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox. Didrickson is less successful this time, giving up four hits and three runs. Bill Hallahan relieves her, as she does not have an at bat in either game. She will also play several games for the House of David this season. Didrickson is the second female to play exhibitions with a major league team. Previously, first baseman Lizzie Murphy played for an American League All-Star team on August 14, 1922. *1935: **At Fort Myers, the Philadelphia Athletics defeat the House of David 4–3. **At St. Petersburg, the St. Louis Cardinals set a spring training record, drawing 6,467 in a match against the Boston Braves. The big draw is Babe Ruth, who hits a towering fly against Dizzy Dean, then, after Dean departs, laces two doubles into the overflowing crowd. The Cardinals win 5–4. *1937 - The Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues acquire future Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Judy Johnson for $2,500 in cash and a pair of journeymen players. The trade is considered the largest transaction in the history of the Negro Leagues. 1940s *1943 - Bob Johnson, a longtime Philadelphia Athletics fan favorite, is traded to the Washington Senators in exchange for outfielder Bobby Estalella and infielder Jimmy Pofahl. Johnson has led the Athletics in RBI in each of the last seven seasons – no team has ever traded a slugger with that mark. 1950s *1953 - U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson offers a bill to give clubs the sole right to ban radio-TV broadcasts of major league games in their own territory. The antitrust division of the Justice Department outlawed this practice in 1949. Johnson believes that it started the decline of baseball in small towns and cities throughout the country. His bill will restore the equity between large communities and the small areas. *1954 - The Chicago Cubs send shortstop Roy Smalley to the Milwaukee Braves for pitcher Dave Cole, opening up the shortstop job for Ernie Banks. *1955 - While the Chicago Cubs are in Arizona beating their L.A. farm team 7–0, major league baseball is played at Chicago's Wrigley Field. In a rematch of last year's World Series, the New York Giants beat the Cleveland Indians again, 7–3. Willie Mays and Dusty Rhodes hit home runs for New York, while Ralph Kiner's ninth inning homer is the first score for Cleveland. A crowd of 24,434 is on hand. *1958 - The Philadelphia Phillies acquire veteran first baseman Joe Collins from the New York Yankees. Opting not to report to the Phillies spring training camp, Collins decides to retire, thereby canceling the deal. 1960s *1961 - The New York Yankees of the American League announce the team will oppose any plan that would enable the new National League expansion franchise to use Yankee Stadium. This decision leaves the old Polo Grounds as the only viable option for the NL new team, the New York Mets. 1970s *1973: **Roberto Clemente becomes the first Hispanic American to gain election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers Association of America announces the results of a special ballot, with Clemente receiving 393 of 424 votes. Clemente died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve. In light of his tragic death, the Hall's Board of Directors had waived the five-year waiting period that is normally required before a player is eligible for election. A 12-time All-Star, Clemente batted .317 and won a dozen Gold Gloves over an 18-year career, and batted .362 in World Series play. Named National League MVP in 1966, he was voted the outstanding player in the 1971 World Series, when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the heavily-favored Baltimore Orioles in seven games. **In an exhibition game played in Puerto Rico, Willie Mays substitute New York Mets manager Yogi Berra and led his team to a 8–3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. *1976 - Leo Durocher, hired to manage the Yokohama Taiyo Whales of the Japanese Central League, is sick with hepatitis and asks for a five-week delay in reporting. Durocher receives a telegram from the Taiyo Whales stating: Since the championship starts in twenty days, it's better if you stay home and take care of yourself for the remainder of the season. 1980s *1984 - Hall of Fame pitcher Stan Coveleski dies in South Bend, Indiana, at the age of 94. Coveleski pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and New York Yankees over a 14-season career, winning 215 games, which include five 20-win seasons. *1989 - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth announces that he has begun an investigation into the behavior of Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose. Ueberroth doesn’t identify the allegations against Rose, but the Reds’ skipper will eventually be banished for his alleged involvement with gambling. 1990s *1995 - The Baltimore Orioles cancel the remainder of their spring training games because of the team's refusal to use replacement players. 2000s *2000 - The new World Umpires Association agrees to consolidate all umpires as part of an interim agreement with the commissioner's office. The umpires will merge beginning with this season. *2002: **The commissioner's office announces MLB will continue the practice that began after the September 11 attacks of singing God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch in each team's first homestand. In addition, a Flag of the United States patches will be worn on the jackets of all 30 major league teams this season and special logos will be used on Opening Day, Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July with Canadian versions designed for the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos. **The Milwaukee Brewers trade catcher Henry Blanco to the Atlanta Braves for catcher Paul Bako and pitcher José Cabrera. *2006: **Scoring four runs in the first inning with only one ball hit out of the infield and four more in the ninth without an extra-base hit, Japan defeats Cuba 10–6, to win the first World Baseball Classic. A sellout crowd of 42,696 packed PETCO Park for the finale to the 21⁄2-week tournament that fulfilled expectations of its organizers. Starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who defeated Cuba in the 2004 Olympics, earned his third victory and was named the most valuable player of the tournament. Mid-March time frame is likely to be repeated in three years. **The Boston Red Sox trade pitcher Bronson Arroyo to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfielder Wily Mo Peña. Boston also announces that outfielder Juan González has agreed to a minor league contract. **Two-time All-Star pitcher Al Leiter announces his retirement after a 19-season majors career. **At spring training, 86-year-old Red Sox special instructor Johnny Pesky is injured when a foul ball broke a bone in his left ankle as he watched a college game. Births *1821 - Bill Cammeyer, manager (d. 1898) *1865 - Mike Griffin, outfielder (d. 1908) *1907 - Vern Kennedy, All-Star pitcher (d. 1993) *1912 - Clyde Shoun, pitcher (b. 1912) *1915 - Stan Spence, All-Star outfielder (d. 1983) *1925 - Al Widmar, pitcher (d. 2005) *1933 - George Altman, All-Star outfielder *1941 - Pat Corrales, catcher/manager *1952 - Rick Langford, pitcher *1954 - Paul Mirabella, pitcher *1954 - Steve McCatty, pitcher *1960 - Mike Young, outfielder *1966 - Blas Minor, pitcher *1971 - Manny Alexander, infielder *1979 - Wilfredo Rodríguez, piitcher Deaths *1935 - Bill Holbert, catcher (b. 1855) *1938 - Bob Fothergill, outfielder (b. 1897) *1943 - Heinie Wagner, infielder (b. 1880) *1947 - Mike Mowrey, infielder (b. (1884) *1952 - Harry Bay, outfielder (b. 1878) *1966 - Johnny Morrison, pitcher (b. 1895) *1968 - Clyde Shoun, pitcher (b. 1912) *1981 - Gee Walker, All-Star outfielder (b. 1908) *1984 - Stan Coveleski, Hall of Fame pitcher (b. 1889) *1996 - Jim Pendleton, outfielder (b. 1924) *2001 - Luis Alvarado, infielder (b. 1949)